Archive for February 17th, 2013

David Draiman’s Device: First Single ‘Vilify’ Leaks

Facebook – Device In this day and age in the music industry, it’s hard for bands to keep songs under wraps before their official release. Disturbed singer David Draiman ‘s new band Device are no exception, with the first single ‘Vilify’ off their self-titled debut hitting YouTube today (Feb. 17). Listen below. Draiman himself acknowledged the leak via a Twitter post, even including the YouTube link for his fans to hear the song. “It’s out there, so I might as well share it,” tweeted the singer in his usual all caps. As for the song itself, ‘Vilify’ features the rapid-fire vocals Draiman has delivered with Disturbed for more than a decade. Musically, the aggressive tune boasts industrial rock and electronic elements, as Draiman has indicated when he began talking about the direction of Device’s music. Lyrically, Draiman sings of a relationship gone bad, with a chorus that declares, “When you vilify / You begin to nullify / Everything that we’ve ever done / You’re f—ing with my head.” All told, Disturbed fans will likely embrace ‘Vilify,’ as it incorporates Draiman’s trademark vocals while adding a fresh sound to his repertoire. The leak of the song should only increase anticipation for Device’s self-titled debut album. The disc drops April 9 and features such guest musicians as Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian,  Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows and Halestorm’s Lzzy Hale, among others. ‘Vilify’ officially hits radio on Tuesday, Feb. 19, but, with Draiman’s permission, you can listen to the song below and let us know what you think of the tune in our comments section. Device, ‘Vilify’ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/david-draiman-device-fan-support-disturbed-future/” title=”Next: David Draiman Talks Device and Future of Disturbed” align=”center”]

Testament and Overkill Bring the Love to Metal Heads in New York City

Liz Ramanand, Loudwire What better way to spend Valentine’s Day that with some thrash metal? Testament and Overkill rocked New York City’s Best Buy Theater on Thursday Feb. 14 along with support from Flotsam and Jetsam and 4arm for the ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ Tour. Testament got a warm welcome from their very energetic fans who crowd surfed nonstop and belted out songs with frontman Chuck Billy. They began their set with the new track ‘Rise Up’ from their latest record ‘Dark Roots of Earth,’ and also worked in a wealth of other songs from the disc such as ‘Native Blood,’ ‘True American Hate’ and the title track ‘Dark Roots of Earth.’ Guitarist Alex Skolnick shredded like none other as the crowd rocked out throughout the evening to such favorites as ‘Over the Wall,’ ‘Into the Pit’ and ‘New Order.’ Overkill gave an incredible performance ahead of Testament. Vocalist Bobby Blitz’s force onstage was completely infectious as the band kicked off their set with ‘Come and Get It’ and ‘Rotten to the Core.’ To see Blitz charge the microphone during songs from the side of the stage throughout their set just reinforced the power of their music. They East Coast natives ended their powerful performance with ‘Elimination’ and their rendition of the Subhumans favorite ‘F— You.’ Arizona rock vets Flotsam and Jetsam and Aussie metallers 4arm began the night with passionate performances as well. If you want to catch Testament and Overkill on tour with Flotsam and Jetsam and 4arm as part of the ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ tour, click here . Check Out Photos of Testament, Overkill, Flotsam and Jetsam + 4arm in NYC Testament: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Overkill: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Flotsam and Jetsam: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire 4arm: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire

August Burns Red Begin Work on ‘Most Ambitious Album Yet’

Facebook: August Burns Red August Burns Red have enjoyed their break from the road, but now have enough material to begin recording their next studio album. The group confirmed their return to the studio via a series of Facebook posts this past week, with drummer Matt Greiner getting his tracking out of the way first. One of the first studio photos can be seen above. Even before a note was recorded, Greiner had been pounding away. In a photo posting , it was revealed that the drummer physically wore down his drumsticks during the writing process. Guitarist JB Brubacker told Alternative Press , “2012 turned out to be quite intense for us from a touring standpoint. We did more traveling than we had ever previously done in our career and after three straight months on the road to end the year, I think we were all ready to come home and shift into writing/recording mode. Now that the writing is complete, we are all itching to get started with the actual tracking.” Speaking about the sound, the guitarist added, “This new record will push the boundaries of our genre more than we ever have before. We set out to write a record where every song stands out from the last. There is a lot of ground covered here and a ton of meat to this album. It’s full of odd metered rhythms and breakdowns, unexpected twists and turns and some of our most technical riffing to date. Each of us have parts that make our heads spin and we have had to practice like crazy to get some of this stuff together.” Brubaker says that the album, which he calls their “most ambitious album yet,” is expected later this year via Solid State Records. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/august-burns-red-video-empire/” title=”Next: Watch August Burns Red’s ‘Empire’ Video” align=”center”]

Universal Sells Former Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden + Megadeth Label Sanctuary to BMG

Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com (2) / Karl Walter, Getty Images The ever-evolving music industry endured another shift recently when Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group agreed to sell Sanctuary Records, the onetime label of metal giants Black Sabbath , Iron Maiden and Megadeth , to BMG Rights Management. The Los Angeles Times reports that the deal was part of divestitures required by European Commission regulators. Sanctuary Records was among the assets requested by European regulators and sources report the label was sold for $62 million. In addition to Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Megadeth, Sanctuary released albums from Motorhead , The Kinks and more. Sanctuary is the second label sold off by Universal Music this month, with Parlophone recently being sold to Warner Music Group. Parlophone had the rights to past releases from  Coldplay , Pet Shop Boys and Tina Turner. Universal has yet to sell off two additional assets — Co-op, a British independent marketing and sales company and EMI’s European stake in the ‘NOW!’ musical venture. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-megadeth-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Megadeth Songs” align=”center”]

Guns N’ Roses Guitarist Richard Fortus to Hold Master Class at University of Central Oklahoma

Ethan Miller, Getty Images While Guns N’ Roses are off the road, guitarist Richard Fortus will help other aspiring musicians learn his chosen trade. The axeman has agreed to host a master class this coming week at the University of Central Oklahoma that will give him a chance to share his skill. Fortus is the latest musician to visit the campus’ ACM@UCO Performance Lab, following in the footsteps of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Roger Daltrey and Jackson Browne , Black Country Communion ‘s Joe Bonamassa, Flaming Lips instrumentalist Steven Drodz and singer-songwriter Ben Folds among others. The guitarist joined Guns N’ Roses in 2001 and can be heard on the ‘Chinese Democracy’ album. He’s also performed or recorded with Thin Lizzy , the Psychedelic Furs, Fiona Apple and Jesse Malin among others. His master class will take place this Thursday (Feb. 21) at the Academy of Contemporary Music lab at the University of Central Oklahoma in Oklahoma City’s Bricktown district (329 E. Sheridan) at 7PM local time. For more information, visit the UCO website here . Fortus will take his place onstage with Guns N’ Roses this spring when the band headlines the Governors Ball and Rocklahoma festivals. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/guns-n-roses-offer-first-look-at-3d-concert-film-announce-tour-dates-in-australia/” title=”Next: Guns N’ Roses Offer Peek at 3D Concert Film” align=”center”]

Pantera’s Phil Anselmo: ‘It’s a Shame’ Vinnie Paul Never Reached Out to Me

Kathy Flynn, WickedGoddessPhotography.com / Gilbert Carrasquillo, Getty Images The rift between longtime Pantera bandmates Phil Anselmo and Vinnie Paul has been well documented, but that hasn’t kept Anselmo from offering olive branches to open communication in the media over the years. The former Pantera frontman once again opened up about his onetime band and their disintegrated relationships in Revolver magazine’s latest issue, which recently hit newsstands. “I feel bad for Vince,” explained Anselmo in the interview (excerpted by  Blabbermouth ). “People should pity the guy. I wasn’t there when Dimebag [Darrell] was murdered, but he sure as f— was. That’s his flesh and blood, murdered right in front of him. It’s a shame that Vince never reached out to [bassist]  Rex [Brown] and I. I think the healing process would have been beneficial to him, instead of his knee-jerk reaction to fear and his therapy through tit bars and whiskey.” The vocalist added that while he will admit his role through a fair share of mistakes that led to the downfall of Pantera, he wasn’t alone. “One guy can’t break up a band,” says Anselmo. “You have to understand, it goes all four ways when a band breaks up. Yes, I made mistakes. Yes, there was a lack of communication on both sides and some of it is my fault — a lot of it is my fault.” Anselmo also insists that he would have repaired his relationship with Dimebag had the guitar legend not been slain. “We would have made amends. I would like to think he would be proud of me for pulling myself out of the muck, the abyss,” says the frontman. “I just choose to remember the positive things. He was almost like the perfect counterpoint to me. We may have clashed to a certain extent, but we would always find a happy medium. It was a vital relationship that I miss greatiy.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/vinnie-paul-on-pantera-reunion-it-aint-gonna-happen/” title=”Next: Vinnie Paul Says Pantera Reunion ‘Ain’t Gonna Happen'” align=”center”]